Kansas City Preview

Coming tomorrow, maybe after midnight tomorrow night though. Had some crap come up tonight that I couldn't get around, and I have plans tomorrow night (plus the standard can't get online at work thing). San Diego preview will come out on Saturday as planned.

'08 NFL Preview: Denver Broncos

The second team in the first division I'll be analyzing prior to the season.

Denver Broncos

Not a lot of good youtube videos of the Broncos from 2007. You folks in Denver need to get with the amateur filmmaking. My options were basically limited to a video of Devin Hester burning Denver's special teams twice, a video of the Texans beating the pants off the Broncos, and this slideshow featuring Brandon Marshall:



2007 Season In Review

Record: 9-7 (2nd AFC West)
Best Game: Week 14 - Denver 41, Kansas City 7 - I was tempted to put their win over Pittsburgh here, based on the quality of opponent, but Denver's week 14 game against Kansas City was about as flawless as they come. Quarterback Jay Cutler, running back Selvin Young, and wide receiver Brandon Marshall all had the best games of their young professional careers. Cutler went 20/27 for 244 yards, 4 touchdowns, and no interceptions. Undrafted free agent Young rushed for 156 yards on 17 carries, a 9.2 yards per carry clip. To round out the offense, Marshall caught ten balls for the first time in his career, for 115 yards, and recorded a career-high 2 touchdowns. The defense also had a stellar day, holding the Chiefs to 7 points, and collecting three costly turnovers from Kansas City QB Brodie Croyle.
Worst Game: Week 13 - Oakland 34, Denver 20 - A week before they blew out Kansas City, Denver suffered their most embarassing loss of the year. Sitting at 5-6 with 3 winnable games ahead (Oakland, Kansas City, and Houston), Denver proceeded to lay an enormous egg against the 3-8 Raiders. Oakland capitalized on 3 Jay Cutler turnovers to the tune of 17 points, and Josh McCown had a brilliant game, going 14/21 for 3 touchdowns and no picks. The Broncos gave up 175 rushing yards and failed to hit the century mark themselves. The Raiders held the ball for almost 10 minutes more than the Broncos, and the loss all but ended Denver's playoff hopes.
MVP: Brandon Marshall - While Jay Cutler had a strong year and proved he was a quality starter in the NFL, and Selvin Young had an impressive debut season, it was Marshall who truly had a breakout year for Denver. Brandon Marshall became the first WR to catch 100 balls for Denver since Rod Smith last accomplished the feat in 2001, and the fourth WR in Denver history to do so. His 102 receptions were good for second in franchise history, after Smith's 2001 campaign, and his 1325 yards were good for third in franchise history. He also contributed 7 touchdowns to the Denver cause. It's clear that Marshall has a very bright future in Denver, and his performance in 2007 allowed the Broncos to release injury-prone Javon Walker and remain confident in the receiving corps.

2008 Offseason Review

Notable Players Lost:
K Jason Elam - Elam is getting up there in years, but he was still, by a fairly wide margin, the best kicker that Denver has ever had. Rookie Garrett Hartley and second-year player Matt Prater will compete for his spot on the depth chart.
WR Javon Walker (cut) - Strictly from a talent perspective, Walker is a big loss, but given that he has shown to be injury prone and an underachiever, he may be more of a weight off of Denver's shoulders than a serious loss on the field. Brandon Marshall appears to be the real deal, and with several other additions to the receiving corps, Walker probably won't be missed very much.
OT Matt Lepsis (retired) - His skills were in decline this year, but, in his prime he was an excellent lineman.
RB Travis Henry (cut) - Clearly Mike Shanahan had a reason to cut him, but it's still an odd decision. They signed Michael Pittman, but he'll be 33 in the fall. They'll need to rely a lot on Selvin Young to continue what he started at the end of the 2007 season.
C/G Chris Myers - Myers was an RFA, and would have been expensive to keep. The Broncos gave him a low tender, and he was signed away by the Texans, at which point the Broncos replaced him with Casey Wiegmann.
LB Ian Gold - Had some great years with the Broncos, and was generally well-liked by fans, but has had some injury problems as of late, and it's been reflected in the quality of his play. As of yet, he has not signed with a team.

Notable Players Gained:
RB Michael Pittman - Pittman is a powerful runner who should compliment Selvin Young. He's a little on the old side, but he can still be effective.
WRs Keary Colbert, Darrell Jackson, and Samie Parker - The Broncos dealt with the departure of Javon Walker by signing three medium-profile free agent wide receivers to compete for a starting position, along with returning WR Brandon Stokely, opposite Brandon Marshall. Colbert was a star at USC who hasn't performed to expectations in the NFL, but has plenty of talent. Jackson is an experienced receiver who was successful with the Seattle Seahawks. Parker is a former track star who is primarily a burner.
C Casey Wiegmann - Wiegmann is a solid lineman who's started every game in the last 6 years. He's also cheaper than Chris Myers.
LB Boss Bailey - Bailey joins his brother Champ on the Broncos' defense for 2008. He's a versitile player who can play any of the LB positions, and can play the run and pass well.
S Marlon McCree - The Broncos got McCree after division rival San Diego cut him. He's a well-rounded veteran.
S Marquand Manuel - Denver also signed Manuel, most recently with Carolina. These two acquisitions should help improve Denver at the safety position, which has become a weakness as John Lynch ages.

The Draft: Ryan Clady was a great pick for Denver, as he'll fit right in with their scheme. He was drafted to be a replacement for Matt Lepsis, who retired in the offseason. Their next few picks were relatively unimpressive, spent on players I didn't rate too highly, but they got a couple of steals in the seventh round with Josh Barrett and Peyton Hillis. Barrett is much better than his seventh round spot would indicate, and if anyone can use Hillis' versatility in the backfield, it's Denver. Denver's draft wasn't overwhelmingly good, but they addressed a position of need in the first, and found some good value late, so overall it was a success.


2008 Season Preview

They will win if: The young offense meshes, and the run defense is serviceable. It's not a secret that Denver has essentially been rebuilding over the last couple years. They've drafted a new franchise quarterback in Jay Cutler, they've found one of their patented 'nobody' running backs in Selvin Young, they've started to deal with the loss, and anticipated loss, of several of their older offensive linemen, and they've brought in a number of new targets for the passing game. Their defense, with some strong veteran leadership in the secondary, should continue to play well against the pass in 2008. Their run defense in 2007 was pretty poor, and they gave up a lot of points, but given that their schedule in the coming season consists of a number of offensively impotent teams, and because their defensive problems last season were largely the result of inconsistency rather than lack of talent, it may not be as big a problem as it appears. They ought to be solid, if unspectacular, on defense in 2008. The big question mark for the Broncos is the sorting out of their offense. In camp, Cutler will need to get used to his new crop of receivers, and the coaching staff will have to make sure all the new parts fit. If the offense can start to click, the Broncos have a chance to be a strong team and, in the best case scenario, give San Diego some competition for the division.
They will lose if: The young skill players underachieve. The Broncos have some good talent on the offense, especially in Cutler and Marshall, but the fear with young players in the NFL is that they'll slump, or play inconsistantly. Selvin Young will need to show he can perform consistently throughout the season. The signs for Cutler, however, are positive - in 2007, he was relatively consistent throughout the year, and didn't have many awful games. For the most part, he was efficient and solid. If Cutler can gradually eliminate some of his mistakes, the Broncos can grab a playoff spot. If he can't, however, they will likely be a middling team again this year.
They will: Improve enough from last year to contend for a playoff spot. Denver's division will be tougher this year, but their schedule isn't all that difficult, and fairly front-heavy. After their week 8 bye, Denver plays Miami, Cleveland, Atlanta, Oakland, the Jets, Kansas City, Carolina, Buffalo, and San Diego. The Broncos could very well go into the playoffs on a tear. Still, San Diego should win the division, though the margin between the Chargers and the Broncos and Raiders will narrow considerably.

Prediction: 10-6, Wild Card

Financial Trouble for Will Allen?

Last month, PFT reported that Will Allen had been involved in an altercation outside a Bed, Bath & Beyond, as per a Miami Herald article that is no longer present on their website. Further investigation suggested that the altercation may have been gambling-related, and that Allen may have pulled a gun.

About a week later, Allen was quoted as saying, "It is a closed matter as far as I'm concerned. I didn't consider it anything in the first place."

End of story? Maybe not.

Today the Miami Herald reported that a complaint has been field against Allen for "contract indebtedness" by CAA, who used to represent Allen, now represented by Drew Rosenhaus. Allen owed the money to CAA as a result of a settlement of a lawsuit against Allen, which alleged that Allen had never paid for the agency's services.

So, Allen failed to pay his former agency, then when CAA filed a lawsuit, Allen settled out of court, then failed to pay the amount agreed upon in the settlement.

In addition, according to the Herald article, the investigation of the parking lot incident involving Allen is still ongoing, and Lt. William Coyne said that "the conflict between Allen and the unnamed man is over money either owed or invested". The unnamed man claims that the argument was over gambling debts but, according to the Palm Beach Post, Allen claims the money was an "investment".

Either way, Allen's failure to pay off the first 50 grand installment of what he owes to CAA, along with the speculation regarding the altercation, is cause for concern regarding Allen's financial dealings. And Allen may still have to deal with a criminal charge if he did, in fact, pull a gun on the man.

'08 NFL Preview: Oakland Raiders

Over the next 8 weeks, I'll be previewing each NFL division, one per week. I'll be analyzing the offseasons and prospects for success for each team individually. Through a highly sophisticated process of pulling pieces of paper out of a hat, we'll begin this week with the AFC West, and the Oakland Raiders.

Oakland Raiders
For most teams, I'll put a highlights video from last year here. But:
A.) They sucked
and
B.) This video kicks ass




2007 Season In Review

Record: 4-12 (4th in AFC West)
Best Game: Week 13 - Oakland 34, Denver 20 - Oakland only won 2 games by more than a field goal, and this was more impressive than their drubbing of one-win Miami. Justin Fargas was a workhorse, rushing the ball 33 times for 146 yards, and Josh McCown had his best game of the season with 3 touchdowns and no picks. They put on a strong defensive performance as well, picking off Jay Cutler twice and holding Denver's running game to 86 yards on 29 carries.
Worst Game: Week 16 - Jacksonville 49, Oakland 11 - As bad as their loss to Green bay two weeks earlier was, this one has to take the cake. They gave up a whopping 7 touchdowns to sevel different players - Fred Taylor, Maurice Jones-Drew, David Garrard, Reggie Williams, Matt Jones, Greg Jones, and Richard Angulo (The only touchdown of Angulo's career). Josh McCown was a miserable 7/23 with one touchdown and three picks. The Raiders gave up 7.8 yards per rush on 28 carries. The Raiders were so bad, in fact, that they won the time of possesion battle and ran more offensive plays that Jacksonville, just because the end zone kept getting in the Jaguars' way.
MVP: Justin Fargas - Fargas put up some solid stats as the only truly capable player on the Raiders' offense. While Oakland's defense is certainly good, it's mostly the result of a team effort. On the other hand, Fargas was the lone bright spot in the offense, rushing for over 1000 yards and a respectable 4.5 yards per carry.


2008 Offseason Review

Notable Players Lost:
QB Daunte Culpepper - The fact that nobody else has signed him says about all that needs to be said.
QB Josh McCown - Showed flashes of being a capable QB, such as in the second Denver game, but was terribly inconsistent. Whereas letting Culpepper walk was pretty much a foregone conclusion, not making a move to keep McCown demonstrates a firm commitment to JaMarcus Russell as their quarterback.
RB Dominic Rhodes - Rhodes' time in Oakland started with more whiz, less bang, as he was suspended for the first four games as a result of a DWI offense, during which he had a mild accident... in his pants. In any case, while he may be a significant acquisition for the Colts, where he found success before, he's not much of a loss for the Raiders where he, even apart from the suspension, failed to live up to expectations.
WR Jerry Porter - Despite being a habitual malcontent during his time with Oakland, Porter actually performed reasonably well in 2007, leading the team in receiving TDs. He's not #1 WR material, but his contribution will be missed (though his attitude might not).
C Jeremy Newberry - Replaced by John Wade. Had injury issues and has lost a step.
OT Barry Sims - Released. 9-year veteran who played his entire career with Oakland.
DT Tyler Brayton - Wouldn't be notable if he weren't the guy who kneed Jeremy Stevens in the nuts. Oh, and he also tackled Randy Moss over the trainer's table. Swell guy.

Notable Players Gained:
WR Javon Walker - He got more money than he's worth, but the raiders needed a premier wide receiver, and Walker fits the bill. Despite some lingering questions about Walker's knee, along with his unusual tendency to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, he's a very talented player, and acquiring him will hopefully help JaMarcus Russell in his development.
C John Wade - A solid veteran to replace Newberry, and more durable. A small upgrade, but an upgrade nonetheless.
OT Kwame Harris - Talented, but not the most technically proficient blocker. The Raiders have enough underachieving offensive linemen, they should have looked to make a bigger acquisition here.
DE Greg Spires - A good veteran out of Tampa.
FS Gibril Wilson - A big pickup, and a moderate upgrade over Stuart Schweigert. The Raiders defense was already one of the more talented defenses in the league, and this pickup should make their secondary even tougher, along with...
CB DeAngelo Hall - Wasn't happy in Atlanta, but then, who was happy in Atlanta last year? Hall is a very talented player, but he hasn't really been successful being 'the man' on the defense. In Oakland, with Nnamdi Asomugha, Gibril Wilson, and Michael Huff, he won't have to be. The Raiders will have one of the best secondaries in the NFL.

The Draft: There's no denying that Darren McFadden has talent coming out the wazoo. That being said, while Justin Fargas, Lamont Jordan, and Michael Bush are no Darren McFadden (well, if it weren't for his injury, Bush might have been), they've proven themselves to be pretty capable backs, especially considering what they have to work with in terms of offensive line. I was surprised they didn't take a single offensive linemen, as offensive line is still a weakness for them. Their other four picks in the draft were almost purely based on athleticism and potential. McFadden may become a great player, but looking at the Raiders' draft as a whole, and factoring in need, it was a poor showing for Oakland on draft day.


2008 Season Preview

They will win if: The defense carries them. The offense is full of underachievers and raw talents who will come through with a couple of big games, but for the Raiders to win consistently, they'll have to rely on their defense putting together a masterful season. Secondary is where they really shine, and they made an already-excellent defense into one of the best in the NFL with their offseason additions. Beyond that, McFadden and Russell will have to learn pretty quickly - especially Russell, as he no longer has the luxury of learning from Daunte Culpepper and Josh McCown, and will be backed up by the less-than-confidence-inspiring duo of Andrew Walter and Marques Tuiasosopo.
They will lose if: Their passing game doesn't find some consistency. The Raiders had the second fewest yards and fourth lowest passer rating in the NFL last season. Oakland couldn't string two good passing games together in a row, and had no stability at the quarterback position. The Raiders need to stick with Russell this season regardless of his performance in the first few games. Quarterback instability during the season has killed more than one good team, the best example being the Buffalo Bills of the last 10 years or so. Now that the Raiders have a young offense, they need to let them grow together. That being said, though, Russell will have to learn to be an efficient game manager, and not just a big arm. The defense is good for a few wins, but the offense needs to find some traction from week to week.
They will: End up somewhere in between success and failure. Despite the talent on the offense, it will take time for them to mesh. The Raiders have a young QB, a young RB, and a young coach. They show a lot of promise, but they still need work on the offensive line, and this won't be the year they break out. That being said, however, they will win several games they probably shouldn't, and show glimpses of the phenomenal talent of their young offensive players. Their defense will be excellent, but it still won't be enough to make up for the offense on its bad days. The Raiders will be largely inconsistent this year, but at least that's a step up from consistently bad. Plus, they have a fairly easy schedule, playing the NFC South, AFC East, Houston, and Baltimore.

Prediction: 9-7

The NHL Entry Draft (Wait, that was last night?)

When I say that you'd have to be a pretty hardcore hockey fan to muster up the will (or the boredom, perhaps) that would drive you to watch the NHL draft, I want you to understand my full meaning. Specifically, I work for Versus, and I didn't watch it. Now, given, I mostly blame Cablevision for that, but even if I could have watched it, I'm not convinced I actually would have.

And, of course, it's not Versus' fault. They do a remarkable job covering hockey, but making the draft seem palatable to the average fan is beyond the powers of even the most creative television producer. The problem is inherent in the sport. The reason the NFL draft is fascinating is because of the size of NFL rosters, and the fact that the NFL doesn't have a minor league. In the NFL draft, the first few rounds of players are all expected to make an immediate impact. Most of the draft class makes a roster somewhere. Even the NBA draft is interesting, because those players are also expected to make an immediate impact with their teams, it's short enough to hold your attention, and before the new CBA prohibiting prep-to-pro draft picks, the handful of high school players that were picked had the same expectations as the players picked out of college.

However, that's not to say that the NHL draft doesn't work. In fact, the format, in some ways, is better than the NBA's or NHL's draft, in that it provides a remarkable level of flexibility to the individual athletes - NHL draftees still have a significant amount of control over their futures by being able to decide when they're ready to leave college and play professionally. Ultimately, the current format is the best for the sport, even if it makes god-awful television.

That all being said, the first overall pick, by the Tampa Bay Lightning, in the NHL Entry Draft was 18-year-old center Steven Stamkos, who played 2 years with the Sarnia Sting of the OHL. He's on the smallish side, but he's a remarkably skilled all-around player, and from what I've seen of him, his puck handling is phenomenal. Stamkos is a player who actually should make an immediate impact, given that the Lightning traded away Brad Richards, and Jeff Halpern, who Tampa received in that trade, will miss the start of the season as a result of the ruptured ACL he suffered in the World Championships. Not only is it a good pick based on need for Tampa, but, it should be a good fit for Stamkos as well, who will be able to learn from Vincent Lecavalier, who himself was a first overall pick saddled with unreasonable (at least at the time he was drafted) expectations. In any case, here are some highlights of Stamkos playing for Sarnia. Enjoy.